Tennis fans have voiced strong objections to the growing presence of influencers at Wimbledon this year. Sponsors have invited dozens of content creators to premium seats, prompting complaints about wasted tickets and limited access for genuine supporters. The backlash intensified online after long queues formed outside the venue.
Wimbledon’s Centre Court has drawn attention for reasons beyond the matches. Premium brands including Rolex, Emirates, Swarovski, and Evian brought in influencers with large followings to create content focused on strawberries and cream, Pimm’s, and outfits.
Molly-Mae Hague, with 8.7 million Instagram followers, attended as an Evian guest alongside figures such as Ashley James, Daisy Tomlinson, and Jemima Grace. Their coverage has centered less on the tennis and more on social media moments.
Real fans faced significant barriers. More than 10,000 people joined the queue by 8:30 a.m. one day this week. All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton advised against travel, stating the queue was full. Influencers, by contrast, entered directly into reserved seats.
Online reactions highlighted the contrast. One fan wrote that Wimbledon had become “just a clown show of people on TikTok,” while others called the allocation of tickets to non-tennis fans a waste amid ballot difficulties.